The Empty Lot Next Door: More Than A Ghost Story

Do You Believe in Ghosts?

Whether you believe or not, my traumatic real-life experiences in The Empty Lot Next Door will make you question the nature of reality. Discover who Candle Face was, how she taunted me, and how she transformed my childhood into a living nightmare.

Based on True Events of a Haunting in Austin, Texas

The investigation into Candle Face didn’t start with Candle Face Chronicles, it started with my childhood haunting. The Empty Lot Next Door is my award-winning memoir that first introduced Candle Face, drawn from real experiences growing up in Austin in the 1970s and 80s. What began as a terrifying memory became the foundation for everything that followed.

The Second Edition: More Truth, More Terror

My much-acclaimed memoir, The Empty Lot Next Door (originally published in 2010), returns in a more terrifying second edition released in 2023. While the original captivated young readers worldwide, I’ve reimagined this new version to unsettle even the most seasoned horror fans. I've carefully reworked the story to reflect actual events, deepening the psychological tension and heightening the vivid imagery.

The Empty Lot Next Door Storyline

When I was young, my family excitedly moved into a new house next to an unusual vacant lot in our Austin neighborhood. A strange, deep hole lay mysteriously at the back of that lot, the site of a home destroyed by fire years before. At first, the empty lot was just an exciting playground where my new friends and I played. But soon, I learned the unsettling story behind it—that a little girl had died in the flames there. According to neighborhood legend, anyone who jumped into the hole would be haunted by her restless spirit.

Drawn by curiosity, I recklessly challenged the legend and became haunted by that same little girl. I called her Candle Face because of her scorched face and body. Soon, Candle Face began invading my dreams, leaving handprints and disturbing signs around our home—even when I was awake.

Yet, The Empty Lot Next Door is more than just my ghost story. It's also about the loneliness I felt as a child, unable to share my fears with my family, who were overwhelmed by their own struggles. I quietly tried to understand my frightening reality, afraid to burden anyone with my secret terrors. Ultimately, my memoir shows how a childhood filled with silence can haunt far longer and deeper than any ghost.